Porsche Panamera S

Expert Rating:

Introduction

Like the Cayenne before it, the Panamera has caused controversy amongst fans of the Porsche badge. Few will argue with the idea of a four-door, four-seat luxury sportscar with Porsche written on the back, but the car's looks have, for the most part, been panned. The thing is, that happened to Porsche's huge SUV too and now it's very much part of the family. If the Panamera is to convince buyers of its merits it needs to be massively impressive, even in 'entry-level' S guise as tested here.

What are its rivals?

It's not easy to guess what other cars potential buyers of the Panamera might have on their shortlists. As we'll get to, it plays the luxury car role pretty well, but it's first and foremost a driver's car, so that probably rules out the likes of the BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class - even the ballistic versions. The BMW M5 might be one alternative, though the only car really built with the same remit is the Maserati Quattroporte, even if it is more expensive. The Aston Martin Rapide arrives in 2010 and that may be another option.

How does it drive?

Like a sports car. And like a luxury car. Yes, it does both convincingly. Well, it does when fitted with the optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) anyway. It's not a cheap option at nearly £3,000, but if you plan on using your Panamera S for proper driving, as well as long distance cruising, then you'd be well advised to tick this box - and it means you have to have the adaptive air suspension too. So equipped, the driver can choose between default, Sport and Sport Plus settings, with the damping, throttle map, ride height and steering assistance all altered. If you've opted for the PDK twin-clutch transmission (as tested here) then the gearchange strategy is also changed according to preference.

Along with the three driving modes, you can alter the damping in three degrees, from perfectly acceptable ride comfort, to nicely controlled, to downright uncomfortable on anything but a race circuit. Although the Panamera S actually manages very well on a track it's not its natural habitat so the hardest setting is best kept for any freshly laid tarmac you happen to find on a decent twisty road. Good luck with that. Back in the real world, the default settings allow comfortable and refined cruising, while Sport mode quickens up the car's response to inputs enough to make it feel really sporting.

You can put the PDK transmission into fully manual mode if you want, though the V8 engine has so much torque throughout its rev range that you don't necessarily need to extend it to the redline to extract decent performance from it. The size of the Panamera is soon forgotten when you find yourself being flung down the road by nigh on 400bhp. The size and weight are not an issue for the standard steel brakes either - at least not on most roads - making short work of hauling the big Porsche down from speed and of course the brake pedal is full of feel.

What's impressive?

More than anything, it's the dual personality that the Panamera exhibits that impressed us. Having spent time with the car, and used it for a variety of tasks that included a weekly shop and runs to the crèche along with rapid motorway journeys and even a session on track, it really is a great all-rounder and a car that you can get truly excited about driving, regardless of the task in hand. Surprisingly, we saw a fuel consumption figure as high as 28mpg after a long cruise, which is impressive given the performance on tap. Admittedly the average dropped to as low as 11mpg after a few fast laps on track...

We were also pleasantly surprised at how comfortable the car could be - and not just for front seat occupants. The rear seats offer passengers plenty of space in most directions.

What's not?

This is no Tardis. That surprisingly spacious interior is thanks to a huge exterior. Parking it or threading through town traffic you'll notice just how wide and long the Panamera is. Multi-storey car parks are to be avoided. Despite that, the boot space is a little disappointing: it's long enough, but very shallow.

While we admire Porsche's move to fit a stop-start system to the PDK-equipped Panameras, it's not the quickest acting system we've experienced. There's a tangible delay between releasing the brake and the clutch engaging, no matter how quickly you move your foot from one pedal to the other. It might help the Panamera's official combined consumption figures - and could of course improve economy whilst driving in busy traffic - but we reckon many owners will just switch it off.

Should I buy one?

That's not a question we can answer simply. The Panamera will not be for everyone. Many have derided its styling, but we found the car to be so competent that we'd expect buyers to forgive it its awkward angles - which are incredibly colour and wheel design sensitive. Divisive looks aside, you should be aware that, while the Panamera S plays both sportscar and luxury car roles quite convincingly, it's undoubtedly a sporty car at heart and will therefore appeal more to keen drivers. That's no bad thing at all - and we'd recommend the Panamera S (with a few choice options) over the other models in the range.

Shane O' Donoghue